EFCC arraigns company MD over alleged ₦9m visa scam in Rivers

Echendu Ndubuisi Endy has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with a ₦9 million visa scam.
Echendu Endy, the managing director of Echendu GPC Limited, was arraigned before Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Thursday on three counts related to visa scam and money obtained under false pretenses, according to the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
“That you, Echendu Ndubuisi Endy, while being the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited between April 23, 2024, and May 2, 2024, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of (four million naira) N4,000,000.00 only from Mr. Darlington Abuchi under the pretense that you had the capacity to procure United Kingdom work permit visa to enable him to work and stay in the United Kingdom, which you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offense against Section 1(1) a & b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, which is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

“That you, Echendu Ndubuisi Endy, while serving as the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, between August 16th and September 14th, 2023, with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of (three million naira) N3,000,000.00 only from Mrs. Ngozi Nzechukwu under the pretense that you had the capacity to procure United Kingdom work permit visa to enable her to work and stay in the United Kingdom, which you knew to be false, and thus committed an offense against Section 1(1) a & b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. 2006, which is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.” According to another count,

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After the accusations were read to Endy, he entered a plea of “not guilty.” Prosecuting attorney K. A. Yunus then asked the court to set a trial date and remand the defendants to the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) custody.

P. U. Alikor, the defense attorney, told the judge that he had requested the defendant’s release on bond. In order to allow the defendant to get ready for his trial, he asked the court to give him bail.

Justice Obile’s decision mandated that the defendant be placed on remand at the Port Harcourt Correctional Center. The case was postponed until November 28, 2024, so that the bail application could be heard.